From collection Kosti Ruohomaa Collection
LB2017.19.13112
Muralist Hildreth Meiere (1892-1961) and artist Louis Ross (1901-1963) work on a triptych to be sent to troops overseas. Hildreth Meiere created over 70 of the triptychs that were sent out. Louis Ross specialized in gilding. Kosti Ruohomaa photographed artists working on triptychs for servicemen abroad in February of 1944. He wrote up a pitch for an article entitled, “Triptychs for the Fighting Forces” “Ideas for the designs of these portable altar-pieces come from the servicemen themselves after conferring with their chaplains. Application is made to the Citizens Committee for the Army and Navy, which is headed by Mrs. J. P. Morgan, who then commissions the artists and sends the finished product to the camp, ship, or fighting front, which has put in the request. Alaska, Midway, Sicily, Trinidad, Persia, Iceland, Newfoundland, Canada, are but [a] few of the locales outside of the country which have asked for and received triptychs. They are also carried by battle-ships, [and] troop-ships, and are placed in Army and Navy hospitals.” (From Kosti Ruohomaa’s notes)
